Tukiisror cqmpasty



L. w. smELns.

BELT BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED APILZS, 192|.

1,41 6,8192. L Patenamay 23, 1922.

,ATTORNEYS ma 'fm YORK.

man,

f e non e- BELT BUCKLE.

Application filed April 25, 1921.

vBuckles, of which tie following a specifica-tion.

The present invention relates to belt bnclles, and more particularly tothe type in Which the body of the buckle is formed by a front plate Withside flanges provided with guides on which the clamping` member oncrates to clamp the belt end against the front plate, an object of thisinvention being to improve the construction of the clamping memberwhereby a greater clamping action is secured and the Wear of the guidesin the side flanges is reduced to a minimum.

To this and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts andcombinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, thenovel features vbeing pointed out inthe appended claims.

ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a face View of a buclle censtructed in accordance With thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a rear vienT of the buckle;

Fig. 8 is a side View;

F ig. 4t is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the manner in whichthe clamping member is formed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentariT section on the line 5*-5, Fig. il, showing theclamping member in one position;

F ig; 6 is a similar fragmentary section showingthe clamping member inanother position;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7, Fig. 4:;

Fig. S is a View of one face of the tubular central portion ofV theclamping member;

Fig. 9 is a View of another face of the tubular central portion of theclamping member Figs. l0, l1 and l2 are detail views of the headed guideends of the clamping member;

with flanges 2 along opposite edges formed,

Specieation of Letters Tatent.

serial no.

in this instance. from the sheet materiafrom which the face plate l. ismade. l side flanges are provided with. guil formed, in this instancdbysletting the si( flanges, said guides extending at a slight angle to theplane of the front plate l so that as the elainping member mores towardone end of the slide, it `will clamp the belt end l against the rearface of the back plate and When moved toward the other end of the guidewill permit the belt end to freely.T more between the clamping memberand the front plate.

The clamping member, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a centraltubular portion 5 formed from a single piece of flot stock rolled intoflat tubular form. A tleast one edge 'and preferably both edges of thisstock are bent outwardly at 6 to proride a rib extending longitudinallyof the tubular member, the ribs when formed on both edges extending indivergent relation to each other so that one edge of each outwardlyturned portion 6a will grip with the belt end el.. The length of thetubular member substantially equal to the distance between the sideflanges 2 and into each end of the tubular member an end piece isintroduced.

Each end piece preferably has a head l which cooperates with an outer ofthe flanges 2. A stem S projects from this head and preferably hasopposite sides flattened so as to fit `within an end of the tubularportion 5 and to provide flat bearing surfaces 8" beyond the tubularportion and between said tubular portion and the head 7. @ther oppositesides of the end piece are provided with shoulders Sl which will.cooperate With an end of the tubular portion and limit the insertion ofthe end piece into the tubular portion. The end. pieces will travel intothe opposite open ends of the tubular portion 5 and firmly engage withthe inner Walls of said inner portion so that theyY may be removedwitlnnit the aid of tools.

In the embodiment shown in lii "a 125i and lll. the front piece l iscurved t1ai'isrereel;y as Well. as longitudinally.r and the flanges G"are curved from one end to the other to conform to the transverse curveof the front plate. The other parts of this embodiment are the same asthe embodiment shown in Figs. l to l2.

F rom the foregoing it will be seen that face of one there has beenprovided aibelt buckle in which the clamping member is formed With alongitudinally extending rib 'lor engaging with the belt. This rib .is'irirelerably provided by forming the clamping member from a centraltubular portion made from 'flat stock, one or both edges of the stockbeing bent to provide the clamping edges. Into the ends of the centraltubular portion, guiding heads are introduced which have flattenedsurfaces between the ends of the tubular member and the heads forcooperating With opposite Walls of slots in the buckle body. These endpieces are also provided on opposite sides with shoulders which limitthe introduction oi the end pieces into the tubular central portion.

Vlhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:-

l. In combination with a buclle body having` a front plate andsideflanges provided With guide slots, a clamping member having heads atopposite ends cooperating with the outer faces of the side flanges, andflat tened faces of greater Width than the slot adjacent said heads,cooperating` with opposite Walls of the slots, the clamping meme berbetween said flanges having a belt engaging projection. cooperating withthe inner face of the front plate to clamp a belt.

2. ln combination with a buckle body hav-v ing a front plate and sideflanges provided with guide slots, a clamping member having a tubularcentral portion and headed guid- 1,41 cesa ing end pieces operating inthe guide slots and having flat opposite sides for cooperating withopposite Walls ofV the slot.

ln combination with a buckle body having a front plate and side flangesprovided With guide slots, a clamping member embodying a centrallattened tubular portion, and headed guiding end pieces operating in theslots, fitted inthe ends of the tubular portions having flat facesbetween the tubular portion and the heads for coo'perat ing Withopposite Walls of the slots and having shoulders on other opposite sideslor cooperating With the ends oi the tubular portion 'for limiting theintroduction of the end pieces in the tubular portion.

4. ln combination with a buckle bodyhaving a lront plate and sideflanges provided with guides, a clamping member operating on said guidesand embodying a central tubular portion formed from Hat stock, at leastone edge of said stock being extended to provide a rib for cooperatingWith the belt end between the clamping member and the rear face of thefront plate.

5. In combination With a buckle body having a front plate and sideflanges provided With guides, a clamping member operating on said guidesembodying a central tubular portion made from dat stoel; With both edgesol said stock extended in divergent relation to provide' flanges for.cooperating with a belt end.

LOVELL WV. SHIELDS.

